What reasons did the government give …

On 12 June 1975, Justice Jagmohan Lal Sinha of the Allahabad High Court passed a judgment declaring Indira Gandhi's election to the Lok Sabha invalid. The emergency was proclaimed in response to a petition filed by Raj Narain, a socialist leader and a candidate who had contested against Indira Gandhi in 1971. The following were the reasons given by the Government for declaring a National Emergency in 1975:

1. On 25 June 1975, the government declared that there was a threat of internal disturbances and therefore, it invoked Article 352 of the Constitution.
2. Under the provision of this article the government could declare a state of emergency on grounds of external threats or a threat of internal disturbances
3. The government decided that a grave crisis had arisen which made the proclamation of a state of emergency necessary.
4. Technically speaking this was within the powers of the government, for our Constitution provides for some special powers to the government once an emergency is declared.

On the night of 25 June 1975, the Prime Minister recommended the imposition of Emergency to President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad thus proclaimed emergency which became the most controversial episode in Indian Politics.